On the road to justice

By Alli Starr of Art and Revolution/Bay Area Direct Action Network/Global Exchange

The POWER TO THE PEOPLE ROADSHOW & Democracy Action Tour will be a ten-day journey from San Diego to Sacramento to educate, inspire and mobilize young people to the streets and call for an end to corporate rule and demand popular democracy with global justice.

August 14-17, 2000 are days of national action calling attention to our corrupted political process, a system that is dominated by corporate power, money and greed. Each day of action will focus on specific social justice and environmental themes.

On Monday, August 14th, our kickoff event's theme is 'Human needs ­ not corporate greed'. Tuesday's theme stresses an 'injury to one is an injury to all', particularly women's, racial and gay/lesbian/transgender, and environmental concerns. Wednesday we will call for - schools, not jails - to counter the expansion of the prison industrial complex and demand justice for our youth. On Thursday we will march against militarization and in support of global justice and immigrant rights.

The ROADSHOW will be an opportunity to bring communities together for popular education workshops, theater performance, and skills training. These events will encourage and prepare both new and seasoned activists to take part in building a massive democratic movement for social justice. The workshops will be led by seasoned organizers in the youth movement working with knowledgeable educators in the international movement of people against corporate globalization.

Our skills-building training may include nonviolent direct action techniques, as well as 'dance and song for the street', media messaging, legal solidarity, reporting police misconduct, and giant puppet/banner-making. By offering an informational and educational forum, we will build a base of activists who can offer a sound critique of the political process and its direct links to the corporations that manipulate the system for their own profit.

The tour is being organized by Luis Sanchez of Youth Organizing Communities and Los Angeles Direct Action Network, Anita De Asis from Critical Resistance Youth Task Force, Alli Starr from Global Exchange/Direct Action Network/Art and Revolution, and Leila Salazar from Global Exchange. Hip-hop artist Sophie Hou from Oakland's Urban Arts and U.C.S.B will perform. Also part of cultural events is Chloe Watts, an African-American woman from Oakland and a special nonviolent trainer and Hana Jones, youth intern with Prison Activist Resource Center & Global Exchange.

Traveling educational roadshows were instrumental in building the mass actions in Seattle against the WTO and the recent uprising in Washington D.C. challenging the IMF and World Bank. This method of reaching people has proven highly effective at mobilizing huge numbers to participate at events. By bringing this creative energy to different cities we help build a network and set a tone for the innovative, nonviolent festivals of resistance that are now igniting the grassroots' youth to action.

We invite you to endorse the POWER TO THE PEOPLE ROADSHOW Democracy Action tour. Please call Alli @ 1-415 255-7296, ext 351, for more information. Questions and tax-deductible contributions can be offered by mail to: Global Exchange/Roadshow at 2017 Mission St. #303, San Francisco, CA 94110